Public transportation is in a rapidly changing state. The existing systems have shortcomings that have been readily apparent for some time. The trend in development is to the personalized service vehicle on a public scale in order to replace the private automobile with a more efficient and effective means of public transportation.
With this thought in mind, trains are outmoded in that to be profitable they have to be too big and would run less often and serve fewer people. Buses present a pollution problem, are uncomfortable, and, as with the train, every time one person gets on or off all the passengers must wait. The automobile is not acceptable because of pollution, size and occupancy rate. Therefore, a completely new system must be found, one with units smaller than a car, that gives individualized service, that is non-polluting, inexpensive to run, and frees the driver from being tied to his vehicle.
One problem that exists with all transportation systems presently envisioned relates to storage. The storage of all vehicles not in use takes up an enormous amount of real estate. Railyards, parking lots, and bus depots all exist for the sole purpose of storing empty containers side-by-side or one after the other. If, on the other hand, vehicles were designed so that one end remains open and the units could fit into one another, storage would be cut down many times over.